The project was developed by the workshop of Ben van Berkel in cooperation with ABT, Haitsma Beton and
BAM Utiliteitsbouw in Ultra High Performance Concrete Research. This concrete differs from conventional concrete in its very high density, steel fiber content and extremely small particle size. As a result, it can withstand high compressive stresses especially well.
The aim of the study was to create a project that maximizes the use of the properties of this innovative material - and such a project was the observation tower for the De Onlanden nature reserve. The project was donated by the authors to the Netherlands Society for the Conservation of Natural Heritage (Natuurmonumenten).
At a height of 25 m, the tower will rise 5 m above the tree crowns, which will allow visitors to admire the area of 3000 hectares. According to van Berkel, the natural landscape of Holland is very diverse, and the relief, on the contrary, is rather monotonous: there are no hills from which one could look around the landscape. Therefore, the tower will come in handy.
It will smoothly rise up: first, visitors will reach the first platform at a height of 10 m, then change the direction of the rise and, looking in the opposite direction, get to the second floor (20 m) and will be able to look towards Groningen (they will, among other things, see the recent UNStudio building - building
Education Agency and Internal Revenue Service). The last platform will be arranged at a height of 24 m. All fences will be made of metal mesh so as not to obstruct the views of the surroundings.
The tower, which the architects named due to the similarity of the silhouette, “Tall Deer”, is a hybrid structure: in the areas of compressive stress, new concrete was applied, and tensile stress - steel.
N. F.
